Currently, rabbit fur outerwear is quite popular. She is not only attractive, but also warm. Like any other clothing, be it outerwear or everyday clothing, items made from rabbit fur require timely and proper care. The easiest option is to hand over your outerwear to a professional dry cleaner. But! There are several proven ways to clean rabbit fur at home, so as not to spend money on dry cleaning services.
Cleaning options
Any fur product is a delicate item. Incorrect actions can permanently ruin a rabbit fur coat, hat or collar. Therefore, the applicable product must be tested.
The test is carried out on an inconspicuous small area of the product. After applying the substance, you should wait at least fifteen minutes, then remove it and analyze the result.
To clean fur, they will help you cope with the task:
- Hydrogen peroxide.
- Talc.
- Bran.
- Vinegar.
- Semolina.
- Petrol.
- Starch.
- Ammonia.
- Soft brush.
The available tools used to carry out this procedure are accessible and low in price. But their effectiveness allows you to avoid the cost of purchasing expensive cleaning solutions. Cleaning fur does not take much time and does not require complex actions.
Any fur product is a delicate item. Incorrect actions can permanently ruin a rabbit fur coat, hat or collar. You can avoid such situations if you adhere to several important recommendations:
Cleaning the pile
Starch, semolina and bran are sorbents of natural origin - they absorb dirt and grease without having a chemical effect on clothing. Talc has an inorganic (mineral) nature, but it also adsorbs organic contaminants well and is safe for fur products. You can clean fur at home with all these means.
Large fur items cannot be washed even on the delicate cycle. Washing will cause the item to change in size and the fur will begin to fall off.
When cleaning with sorbents (substances that absorb dirt), cleaning is carried out until the color of the cleaning substance changes. A change in color means that the substance has reacted with dirt and absorbed it.
Instructions on how to clean the pile from various contaminants:
Dilute one part 9% vinegar in two parts water. Moisten a cotton swab and wipe the dirt along the pile. Movements should be light, without rubbing. When using essence, the amount of water should exceed its volume by 4 rubles. carry out work wearing rubber gloves.
Tip: If the dirt is particularly strong, you can use vinegar essence instead, but you need to apply it quickly and carefully so as not to wet the hair or harm it.
Regular grain bran perfectly absorbs grease and removes other types of contaminants. Here's how to clean a rabbit's fur using them - you need to warm them up, sprinkle them on the fur coat and gently but thoroughly knead the latter with your hands. Try not to leave empty spaces. Then simply brush away the bran.
To carry out the procedure using semolina, you will need a vacuum cleaner (a compact car one will do), a basin, semolina or potato starch (about 1.8 kg). If your fur coat is very dirty, peel the fur away from the lining in advance and wash the 2 parts separately.
Pour 10 liters of warm water into a container, add semolina or potato starch. Dip the fur into the resulting mixture, rinse well and shake thoroughly. After completing all the manipulations, go over the surface with a vacuum cleaner with a soft attachment, lay the fur coat on a flat table, laying a white sheet.
After treatment with chemicals, the product will acquire a pungent odor. After the procedure, dry the item outside for 30 minutes.
You can also use starch. During the procedure, the starch changes color and becomes dark and dirty. Therefore, you need to repeat cleaning until the loose mixture becomes completely white. You need to scatter it evenly over the surface of the fur product, and then rub it in.
After this, take a vacuum cleaner with a clean brush attachment and remove all spent talc. Talc is used similarly to starch.
Removing dust from a fur coat
Under no circumstances should you wash a rabbit fur coat! You can take your item to the dry cleaner to freshen it up. You can use one very simple method:
- Lay the fur coat on a flat surface and cover with a damp towel.
- Beat out the dust using a carpet beater or a regular stick.
- Afterwards, wipe the entire product with a swab dipped in vinegar and dry.
- In order to give the product shine and softness, you can wipe the fur coat with glycerin.
Removing greasy stains: 3 ways
Solutions of active substances are used to clean the product from grease on collars, elbows, and cuffs. If splashes of grease accidentally get on your fur coat, it is not necessary to use strong stain removers.
To remove all greasy stains you need to use:
- purified gasoline or technical alcohol;
- water;
- with a cotton swab.
Ammonia. Mix 1 tablespoon of ammonia with 3 tablespoons of salt and add 400 ml of water. Or mix ammonia and white spirit in equal proportions. Apply the solution to the contaminated area and leave for half an hour. Wipe with a clean damp cloth to remove any residue, then blot with a clean cloth.
Gasoline is mixed with water in a 1:1 ratio , a cotton pad is moistened in the resulting solution and the pile of the product is wiped with it. After treatment, the fur coat must be well ventilated to rid it of the chemical smell. The procedure is best carried out outdoors. It is important to remember: gasoline can only be used diluted in water.
White spirit, which is mixed in equal proportions with ammonia will help remove greasy stains from fur clothing After applying the cleaning composition, you need to wait a few minutes, then remove it with a clean, damp cloth.
Hydrogen peroxide. The substance is used to combat yellow stains left after improper drying or contact with water. Mix 30 ml of 6% peroxide in 300 ml of clean water, add 20 ml of ammonia. After mixing the components, apply the solution using a spray bottle. The distance from the spray bottle to the product is 30-40 cm. Remove the solution with a brush, carefully combing the pile.
How to clean the lining
Not only the pile of the product needs cleaning, but also its lining. During wear, it is also susceptible to contamination and the appearance of greasy, greasy stains. Often in fur products the top is clean, but stains appear on the lining.
Before cleaning the lining of a fur hat, it is not necessary to remove it from the product; it is enough to carry out the treatment carefully so that the products do not get on the inside.
To avoid tearing it off your fur coat, you can use the following methods:
1) Sweat stains on the lining of a fur coat can be cleaned by applying a mixture of denatured alcohol and ammonia in equal parts.
Products made from knitted rabbit (hat, jacket, vest) can be washed in an automatic washing machine. For washing, turn on the delicate cycle and turn off the spin cycle. The item is rolled up and placed in a special bag. Water temperature no more than 30 degrees.
2) A soap solution is also suitable for lining fabric, but it must be applied carefully so that moisture does not get on the inside.
3) Amway spray is an ideal product for removing dirt from the lining of a fur coat at home. Simply apply it to the dirt and then remove it with a clean sponge.
Important! If the contamination is severe, you can replace the fabric and repeat the procedure. Once all the dust has been removed, you can begin to get rid of stains and greasy areas.
Grandma's secrets
Previously, when there was a lot of snow in winter, it did not turn gray from car exhaust and production waste; a fur coat was cleaned outside in frosty weather. It was laid out with the pile down towards the snow and knocked out. As a result, all the dust and dirt came off the fur coat, it became clean and shiny. Today, only residents of ecologically clean areas where there is enough snow in winter have this opportunity.
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However, you can still clean fur at home in a similar way by replacing the snow with a damp white cotton cloth:
- hang the fur coat on hangers;
- wrap it in a damp, clean cloth;
- knock out.
If heavily soiled, you need to change the fabric to a clean one and repeat the process. Once the dust has been removed, you can move on to cleaning organic contaminants - greasy areas on the collar or sleeves and, if necessary, stains.
Cleaning white fur
After a certain period of time, a tint of yellow may appear on the white fur. You can wash fur using a solution that will consist of the following ingredients: ½ tsp. ammonia; 1 tsp. hydrogen peroxide; 200–250 ml of ordinary water. First, soak a cloth in this solution.
You should not hang your fur coat in direct sunlight. This can cause white fur to turn yellow, and black or gray fur to fade and lose its shine.
Wipe the white fur with a damp cloth, then allow it time to dry. Drying should occur naturally. You can add gasoline to the solution, but it leaves an unpleasant odor that will disappear in 7–8 days.
Washing fur
When cleaning a rabbit fur coat yourself, you need to take into account some rules. This procedure usually takes from 2-3 hours to 1-2 days. It all depends on how dirty the product is, as well as on its overall condition. A snow-white rabbit fur coat especially needs delicate and careful care.
A small item (short fur coat, jacket, vest) that is heavily soiled can be wet cleaned by hand. This procedure can be conventionally called washing, since only the pile can be wet-processed without touching the skin.
Important: If your fur coat suddenly gets wet, you do not need to dry it with a hairdryer or heater, as this may change its color. Just hang it on a hanger, comb it and wait until it dries on its own.
Large fur items cannot be washed even on the delicate cycle. Washing will cause the item to change in size and the fur will begin to fall off.
Causes of yellowing
When purchasing products made from natural fur, you must take into account the fact that over time it will definitely begin to acquire a yellowish tint. This happens because the natural color pigment of the villi fades under the influence of ultraviolet radiation. The same effect happens to people's hair in the summer. Also, the fibers can burn out from the bright light of the lamps. If the finished product has been hanging for a long time in a store with daylight, or at home on a hanger in a brightly lit room, then this process is inevitable.
Boa with yellowed fur
But even if you carefully pack your mink collar coat or white rabbit fur coat and hide it deep in the closet, it will simply prolong its original appearance a little.
Dry cleaning
You can clean a rabbit fur coat using improvised means:
- A slightly dusty coat can be cleaned with clean snow. The item is placed on the snow away from the road with the pile facing out and knocked out. In urban conditions, clean snow is difficult to find, so the same procedure is carried out at home, laying the fur coat on a damp sheet.
- Semolina or potato starch. Semolina is poured onto the fur coat and left for 15 minutes. After this, the pile is cleaned with a soft brush. Repeat this procedure several times until clean grain begins to fall out.
- For a gentle, dry way to clean your rabbit's fur, you can use talc. The powder is evenly scattered over the surface of the product and lightly rubbed in. The powder is removed by shaking off the fur and combing it out with a comb. You can use a pet comb or a wide-toothed comb.
- Shampoo for animals effectively cleans fur and removes unpleasant odors. A small amount of shampoo is diluted in water and sprayed onto the fur coat from a spray bottle. Then the pile is combed with a brush and wiped with a damp sponge.
Precautionary measures
Any fur, and especially rabbit fur, is a delicate material. Careless actions can ruin it forever.
To clean a fur coat or cape and not aggravate its condition, you need to remember a few “taboos”:
- Under no circumstances should fur items be washed;
- It is not recommended to use strong chemicals to remove stains;
- no need to comb the fur with a fine-toothed comb;
- Do not dry fur clothes on a radiator or with a hot hair dryer.
- Washing rabbit fur in a machine is strictly prohibited. To prevent yellowing of a white rabbit fur coat, it should be wrapped in a thick cover of a dark, cool color. It is better to store such a fur coat in a cool place.
To clean rabbit collars and hats, it is better to use cleaning products with a gel consistency. Remembering these simple rules, you can cope with dirt on your own and wear your favorite fur coat for many years.
Practical advice
- Do not clean rabbit fur with hard brushes. Use clothes brushes with soft bristles. After processing, hide the product in a case and put it in a closet.
- Before hiding an item after seasonal wear, it needs to be thoroughly dried in the fresh air, without turning to radiators or heaters for help.
- To avoid yellowing of white fur, hide the product in a dark fabric or paper cover, preferably blue. Before hanging it in a closet for storage, check that there is no mold or moth there. The product in the closet should not be in close contact with other things, as a result of which the fur can become very wrinkled.
- You can clean hats and collars with gels. To do this, add a little product to warm water, then dip the small item into the solution. The manipulation is carried out several times. Then remove the item, but do not wring it out. Let the water drain on its own. Take the garment out to dry in fresh air, but do not leave it in direct sun. To prevent the pile from sticking together, comb the fur while drying.
- If there is a need to wash the lining in the hat, its inner part is pulled out and the fur is put on a 3 liter jar. The pile is steamed and the lining is washed as usual. Then the elements are fastened together.
